We are so excited and proud to announce this year’s winners of the Spring Garden Competition 2022. There were many beautiful gardens, each one different to the other, but all special in their own way.

This event is about so much more than just beautiful gardens. It connects our community and fosters new friendships, promotes environmental awareness and helps grow a sense of pride in our vibrant City.

Judges Mayor Angela Evans and Janet Willoughby, Open Space Community Planner visited 50 gardens grown with love and purpose.

Over 150 people attended the presentation night on Tuesday 15 November, with the awards presented by ABC Gardening Australia’s Sophie Thomson.

Our winners were:

Small Garden Award
Winner: Nathan Tomlinson of West Croydon

This beautiful, semi formal garden is well designed, with coordinated colour, many formal elements, lighting, sculpture, ornaments and water features, even music all working together to create a truly beautiful space.

Home Garden Award
Winner: Katharine Hage of Croydon

A beautiful garden with a vast range of plants, including cool climate trees, shrubs and potted plants. A beautiful use of colour and texture, bringing the indoors out and outdoors in.

Food Garden Award
Winner: Sasha Thomas of Woodville West

A cleverly designed garden that is bending and shaping to a growing family, a well-thought-out mix of fruit, veggies, flowers, play space, chook and doggie space.

Children’s Garden Award
Winner: Charlie Semmens

Charlie wowed the judges with his beautiful flowers (and his gorgeous personality). The judges were treated well with chocolate frogs and had a good lesson in what goes in what bin.

Community/Non-Residential Garden Award
Winners (tied): Semaphore Park Community Garden and Ovingham Greening

The Semaphore Park Community Garden is heartfelt and well-loved. It was inspiring to see how the garden has grown and developed significantly over the past 12-18 months.

The Ovingham Greening garden is a Bee, Bird and Butterfly Garden featuring a mix of native and exotic plants to encourage bot native and introduced pollinators, a Native Bee Hotel and mosaics. The design is inclusive bringing the local community together.

School Garden Award
Winner: Kilkenny Primary School

The commitment the children have put in this year were noticeable with huge improvements to the garden. They have a strong focus on seasonal fresh food, which is prepared and shared in their kitchen, developing positive food habits for life.

Most Loved Street Award
Winner: Jeaneane McGorm of West Lakes Greening

This street showcased going above and beyond the norm. The plantings were only 12 months old but showed a riot of colour and textures and you could see the influence these gardeners has throughout their suburb.

Verge Garden Award
Winners (tied): Gianna Miller of Grange and Christine Hansen of Semaphore Park

Gianna Miller has a beautiful verge garden that is inspiring others to follow suit. This clever verge garden has been developed in a difficult location and beautifies the local area.

Bursting with colour and grown from cuttings from neighbours, Christine Hansen's garden encourages people to stop and chat and as a result, is also inspiring others to join in and garden in their verge area.

Habitat Hero Award
Winner: Joseph Hyde of Woodville Park

This garden is just a new garden but has been so well thought out and cleverly designed. All native plantings, attracting bees, birds and other insects to this garden will happen with ease.

Coolest (cool not groovy) Garden Award
Winner: Kerry James

This garden shows what we can do to challenge changing climate and urban heat. Cool and actually pretty groovy too, this garden is testament to the many years of love and attention. Four 35 year old Eucalyptus trees give canopy cover, habitat to birds and insects while significantly creating a cooler environment in summer.

The Encouragement Award
Winner: Angie Del Santo of Ovingham

A very young garden, creatd with passion and love. The creativity and resourcefulness contributed to the development of the garden this year. We can’t wait to see it next year!

Great Garden Citizen
Winner: Brooklyn Mabbott of Bowden

This year, the award goes to a young person who is following her heart and dreams.

Brooklyn has developed a new Community Garden space for others to share and enjoy. She shares her knowledge and expertise with great enthusiasm and generosity and is inspiring others wherever she goes.

Congratulations to all our winners and competition entrants.